I used this for my initial septum jewelry after piercing my septum with a 14g needle. (The 16g barbell fits perfectly into the (non-sharp) end of the needle, so it makes for an easy way to get the jewelry in!) I love everything about it - I've had it in for almost two weeks and so far it's doing great. I'm sensitive to certain metals, but this stainless steel has treated me well.My only negative remark about this: I must have not screwed in the ball tight enough after placing it in my septum, and about a week after I had had it in, the ball fell off and disappeared. Worried and disappointed, I went to the nearest piercing shop and bought a new ball (which was $9 for just the ball! I was desperate) and it was too small to fit in my barbell. I wish that Kinzie Fashion sold replacements for barbell ends. Moral of the story - make sure you buy all of your jewelry from the same place!It's not any matter, though; I'm currently using the barbell (without the balls) as a retainer until I receive a new one.Important: This barbell is very small. It fit my septum, but just barely, and I have a smaller and flatter nose. (I actually really like how it fit.) If you have a larger nose, or your piercing is higher up your septum, I would recommend buying a larger barbell. The measurement they give (8mm) is the INNER DIAMETER of the ring, not the outer.Another note: since my nose is a bit flatter than average, I couldn't flip the ring up into my nose with the balls on. Now that I'm wearing it without them, I am able to.